Kenya Vs Uganda wc qualifier. 2023 Do or Die for Zim

[TapsC2]

I forgot Graeme Cremer being chucked straight from high school into the deep end. It was far worse back then.

[Googly]

They came from a background of highly competitive school cricket. It doesn't exist anymore.
We do have a couple of guys that might step up, let's see

[ZIMDOGGY]

We always seem to be hit or miss players. Some of these associates just play a more steady low ceiling type of game, it works in pressure environments

If school cricket really is dead we are in trouble. We have never had many numbers. Way less than the other associates so we are sliding from punching above into probably par.
The funding should really bear more fruit though
I still think to solve the issues at the top ws have to throw big dollars at players that qualify for us like Cartwright.
Structure the deal so it’s performance based if you’re worried.
This move will keep our head above water for 5/6 years at national level. Then just work hard at the youth in that time.
Work on a 13 year old now, and we will start to see results in ten years.

[Googly]

That's the problem. They wait until they're 19, it's too late by then

[ZIMDOGGY]

That's the problem. They wait until they're 19, it's too late by then

You should bring this to ZC. You’d be good at some pathways role for early high schoolers

[CalZim]

The thing that is annoying me the most is, we are not playing bad cricket. Yes the odd bad Captaincy decision and player performance but the main reason we haven't qualified (still a slim chance but very slim) is because whilst we are stagnating the other teams are growing.

People look at African cricket and expect teams to be rubbish outside of South Africa and Zimbabwe, when in fact Namibia are quality and have even proved that on a global stage, Uganda are also getting to that point, in 4 years time I promise you they will have ODI status after the next challenge league. There are players in that Uganda side I would pick for Zimbabwe.

Let's also not forget that Uganda were missing their best 2 bowlers for this competition! They will be fit by the time the world cup comes and then Uganda will turn a few heads.

Everyone else may be doom and gloom but I am trying to stay positive. Yes there will be changes but you can't pluck players out of thin air. Seam bowling depth is a major concern, without Richie and Blessing and Evans you may as well pick someone from Rwanda.

We need to invest/focus more on the under 19s and keeping them around after next years comp and ensuring we don't lose players which we always do.

[CalZim]

The thing that is annoying me the most is, we are not playing bad cricket. Yes the odd bad Captaincy decision and player performance but the main reason we haven't qualified (still a slim chance but very slim) is because whilst we are stagnating the other teams are growing.

People look at African cricket and expect teams to be rubbish outside of South Africa and Zimbabwe, when in fact Namibia are quality and have even proved that on a global stage, Uganda are also getting to that point, in 4 years time I promise you they will have ODI status after the next challenge league. There are players in that Uganda side I would pick for Zimbabwe.

Let's also not forget that Uganda were missing their best 2 bowlers for this competition! They will be fit by the time the world cup comes and then Uganda will turn a few heads.

Everyone else may be doom and gloom but I am trying to stay positive. Yes there will be changes but you can't pluck players out of thin air. Seam bowling depth is a major concern, without Richie and Blessing and Evans you may as well pick someone from Rwanda.

We need to invest/focus more on the under 19s and keeping them around after next years comp and ensuring we don't lose players which we always do.

[secretzimbo]

Its time up after 2027 in terms of the fancy funding I would think, we don't deserve it. We'll do well to retain full membership

I disagree. We are more likely to win the World Cup than losing full membership. No matter how bad we are.

[secretzimbo]

20 years ago we heard Zim cricket will never recover after those guys walked out. Then the big 4 plus Hami and Elton and Taibu for a bit came. A lot of those guys rank above those guys walked out now. Sport is a cycle. Don't believe people who say nobody will ever step up. In fact we were in deeper shit in 2004 than now. 19 year olds had to face the best teams in the world

Yeah but where did those big 4 plus Hami and Elton and Taibu come from? They grew up and learnt their game in a great system. Thanks to twenty years of destruction we have largely lost all of that, despite a few recent efforts to make improvements.

It will take years, maybe decades, to get the school, club and age group system back to where it once was.

[secretzimbo]

20 years ago we heard Zim cricket will never recover after those guys walked out. Then the big 4 plus Hami and Elton and Taibu for a bit came. A lot of those guys rank above those guys walked out now. Sport is a cycle. Don't believe people who say nobody will ever step up. In fact we were in deeper shit in 2004 than now. 19 year olds had to face the best teams in the world

Yeah but where did those big 4 plus Hami and Elton and Taibu come from? They grew up and learnt their game in a great system. Thanks to twenty years of destruction we have largely lost all of that, despite a few recent efforts to make improvements.

It will take years, maybe decades, to get the school, club and age group system back to where it once was.

Having said that, there is no way in hell that Uganda have better or stronger school, club or even professional domestic cricket than we do. Even Namibia don’t.

So it’s a bit of a mystery